


they see right through me (can you see right through me?)

by brazilianchild



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst but it gets better I promise, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Lots of music/piano, M/M, One Shot, Pining, TW: suicidal thoughts, and they were neighbors, everyone (well mostly) is alive and well, they're both clueless idiots but mostly Theon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-08 00:48:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21467299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brazilianchild/pseuds/brazilianchild
Summary: Theon knew that his upstairs neighbor had moved recently and he was secretly hoping that his new one would be just as quiet. The walls of his flat were awfully thin and sound travelled way too easily. But of course, his new neighbor had to be an aspiring musician playing that fucking piano at 3 o’clock in the goddamn morning.
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, Joffrey Baratheon/Sansa Stark, Jon Snow/Ygritte, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Robb Stark/Margaery Tyrell, Theon Greyjoy/Sansa Stark, Yara Greyjoy/Daenerys Targaryen
Comments: 12
Kudos: 114





	they see right through me (can you see right through me?)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! 
> 
> This fic is _very_ centered around the piano playing and I've hyperlinked the songs that Sansa plays when she starts to play them. For the full effect please, PLEASE listen to the songs while you read. It changes everything, trust me. 
> 
> Side note: this was fully inspired by a real life event lol. My upstairs neighbor keeps playing the piano and I would stop what I was doing and listen in. Then I thought "hey this would make a great fic" and TA DAAA, I wrote it. The first song Sansa plays is actually the one my neighbor keeps playing over and over again.
> 
> The title comes from Archer by Taylor Swift because, well it's a poetic masterpiece.
> 
> Thanks to Maria for everything and all the support as always. Ilyi.
> 
> _ Please listen to the songs while reading, I can't emphasize enough how important it is. _

The first time Theon had heard it, he had been trying to go to sleep after a terrible day. His classes were shite, Yara was in a pissy mood and he couldn’t even go to Robb to drown his sorrows in a beer because he was showing his little sister around town. She had recently transferred from King’s Landing and Robb was taking a lot of time to make sure she was comfortable in Winterfell once more.

He just wanted some fucking sleep and when he finally thought he was drifting off after hours of turning around in bed, [the music started playing.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvFH_6DNRCY) It was too loud to ignore and Theon groaned as it kept going. It was a sweet melody, one he lightly recognized, and if it was any other day or any other hour Theon might have appreciated it.

He shifted onto his back and trained his eyes on the ceiling. This new piano player seemed to be playing right on top of him.

He knew that his upstairs neighbor had moved recently and he was secretly hoping that his new one would be just as quiet. The walls of his flat were awfully thin and sound travelled way too easily. But of course, his new neighbor had to be an aspiring musician playing that fucking piano at 3 o’clock in the goddamn morning. 

He rubbed his face and gave a defeated sigh. The piano playing didn’t seem like it was going to end any time soon. He grabbed a pillow and held it tight over his head trying to drown out the noise. After silently cursing his neighbor’s ancestors and predecessors ten times over, Theon eventually drifted to sleep.

[The second time he heard it, he was in a slightly better mood.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwDNAe2oGuc) He was studying for a Chemistry quiz he had the next day when they started playing.

He gave a huff and rubbed his eyes, already knowing what was coming.

He tried to concentrate anyway, focusing on the material in front of him but his attention kept drifting back to the music in the background. It seemed to be a harder song this time, because the player kept missing and playing the same portion over and over again. After the fourth time, he heard a female voice groan in frustration and say “Oh for fucks sake!”

He couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at her frustration. Theon abandoned all pretense of work and sat back to listen this girl attempt to play through her piece. It was beautiful, something with more sadness than the first time he’d heard her play. Her mistakes and constant repeats made it better somehow. More real. 

When the music stopped, Theon felt a surprising sense of disappointment. He sat there for a couple minutes trying to process what he’d just heard. He shook himself off and returned to his work. But that tune stuck with him.

For the next couple weeks, Theon couldn’t get that song out of his head. It was on a constant loop, always in the background of every single thought. He kept trying to find it. He even started listening to some piano classics on Spotify. When Robb saw what he was listening to he laughed so hard that he fell off his chair. 

But Theon didn’t find it amusing. Frankly, he found it really fucking annoying. He hated that this song had engraved itself into him so easily. He hated that it couldn’t just leave him alone. But most of all, he hated that he was mostly dying to know who was the person playing the song that haunted his dreams. 

He heavily considered going up there and finding out but what would he say? “Hey, I live below you and I can hear you play the piano and even though I know jack-shit about music I’ve been kinda obsessed with yours for weeks now so would you want to play for me sometime?”

Yeah, sure. _That_ sounded normal.

And before he could actually think of a viable option for his dilemma, his life went up in flames. 

His mother passed away. The only good person in that awful family was now gone. The funeral was supposed to be beautiful. A beautiful funeral for a beautiful soul. It was the least she deserved.

But of course, the Greyjoy family couldn’t even manage that. His father took the opportunity to make the last of his children feel like utter disappointments. Theon had drunk too much to do anything but stand there, silent and ashamed as his father yelled at him over his mother’s coffin. He felt numb as Yara stood up for them both and yelled back at her father. 

He only heard tidbits of their fight. Things like “a disgrace to the name Greyjoy” and “Mother deserved better than an asshole like you”. He contributed nothing. He just stared at the patch on the ground where his mother was buried until he turned around and left for a smoke.

Theon spent the next couple of days in a drunken stupor. Yara tried to shake him out of it to no avail. He left Pyke and returned to Winterfell feeling like a shell of who he once was. He hadn’t cried since he’d found out. He eventually stopped going to class. He ignored Robb’s texts and calls, knowing Robb couldn’t stop by to check on him since he had no idea where he lived. And that was just what he wanted. He wanted to be alone. He wanted to drown his sorrows in a bottle of gin and the pills in his cabinet until he felt nothing at all. Until he became nothing at all.

Theon felt an ache on his back as he resumed consciousness. He shifted until his eyes opened into slits. He was lying on the floor next to his bed and he groaned as he sat up slowly. He looked around to find a couple bottles scattered around, most of them empty. He wanted to check the time but his phone was nowhere to be found. The curtains were shut but there was no light peeking through them so he could assume it was night time.

He shifted so he could lean his back on his bed. Theon looked around his room and his eyes fell upon a picture frame. He could barely see it but he knew what the picture was. It was one of the few he had of him as a child. He had to be about eight years old. It was an unusually sunny day in Pyke and his mother took him and Yara out to the beach. Theon had raced off by himself, his mother running after him calling his name. She caught him and he had collapsed into fits of giggles. Yara had snapped the picture the moment his mother pressed a kiss to his cheek. It was such a happy memory. Almost happy enough for him to forget the true reason why his mom had taken them out of the house. _Almost._

He shut his eyes to prevent the memories of bruises and broken bottles from flooding back. He didn’t want to think about that. He didn’t want to think about anything at all. 

He reached for the bottle of pills by his bed. He played around with the bottle on his fingers for a bit. Thoughts racing through his head. Questions he didn’t want to know the answer to. 

He unscrewed the bottle and poured a couple pills into his palm. He hesitated and hovered the bottle over his hand. Who even cared about what happened to him anymore? How long would it take for someone to find his body?

He thought about Yara but he quickly put her out of his mind. He was a disgrace. Unworthy of the name Greyjoy. She would be better off without him there to drag her down.

He poured the rest of the pills on the bottle in his palm. Theon reached for a bottle of gin in the corner, ready to down the rest of its contents.

[And then it came back.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADPmsDlcwss) Piano keys sounded through the room, clearer and stronger than he remembered. He froze in shock almost afraid to move as if he could scare the music away. But it kept going.

He let his head fall back against his bed as he listened. It started off soft, and Theon felt the bottle slip from his fingers as he basked in it.

He remembered a time where he had dreamed of her playing the piano again. When the sound of her music was a constant in his life. He had forgotten how much he’d missed it. 

It was a different song this time. And the way she playing it was also… different. There were no mistakes. No shrieks of frustration or loud curses. Only the music. 

It was almost as if she was indulging herself in playing this song. As if she was pouring out all of her anxieties and sadness into it and expressing her sorrow in a way no words ever could. As if playing this would release all her pain and help her heal. And he could _feel all of it_ in his bones.

The song started sweet and innocent, almost like a waltz. But as the song went on, the melody started getting quicker and darker. As if someone or life had corrupted that sweetness and abused it and forced the person to grow. 

As she played harder and faster, the tears he’d been holding back came to his eyes. 

All the pain and anger he’d been repressing all these weeks seemed to come out all at once. It was like her music had unlocked something in him; opened the floodgates to all his mourning. 

Through the notes, he could feel that she was just as lost and lonely and angry as he was. And maybe it was that sense of understanding, that comfort that someone out there knew the pain he was feeling, that was enough for Theon to let the pills slip from his palm and collapse into sobs. 

The song ended with the sweet melody from the beginning, one last time. As if hopeful that maybe the goodness and innocence before all the bitterness would return.

Theon remained there on the floor, hugging his knees as he wept for his loss. For the loss of his mom. The loss of a normal childhood. The loss of his parents. The loss of his brothers. The loss of himself.

* * *

Theon showed up at Yara’s doorstep the next day. His eyes red and wide as she opened the door to greet him.

She said nothing as she looked him up and down. She gave a sigh and pulled him into a hug. He reciprocated quickly, grabbing her as he sobbed against her shoulder. No words were spoken between them but Theon felt the jagged pieces of himself smooth over just a little bit.

* * *

He eventually showed up at Robb’s door as well. However this time, there were no tear tracks streaking his cheeks and the therapy was making him feel like he wasn’t holding himself together with tape and glue as much anymore.

Margaery was the one who answered the door. She crossed her arms and looked him up and down. “Long time no see.”

Theon resisted the urge to fidget under her gaze. She had always scared him the most out of all his friends and he wanted to run from the daggers she was glaring at him. But he was there for a reason. “Is Robb here?”

Margaery didn’t answer but just squinted her eyes at him further. “He was really worried about you, you know? You can’t just disappear like that and expect him not to freak out.”

“I know.” Theon admitted. He trained his eyes on his shoes as a wave of guilt swept through him. “That’s why I want to talk to _him._” He had nothing against Margaery but he couldn’t help some snarkiness slip into that last sentence. He wasn’t there to be interrogated by his best mate’s girlfriend. He was there to talk to Robb and Robb only.

Before Margaery could reply, a voice sounded out from the back.

“Hey, Marg have you seen my keys anywhere? I can’t seem to…” Robb trailed off as his eyes fell on the person at his door. “Theon.”

Theon felt his lips lift into a hesitant smile as he saw his best mate for the first time in months. “Hi.”

A pause as neither of them said anything for a moment. Margaery was the one to break the silence by pursing her lips and letting go of the door she was still holding. “Well, I’ll go finish my makeup.” She stopped to give Robb a kiss on the cheek before disappearing into their room.

Both boys stood there staring at each other, neither of them moving. 

Theon for the life of him couldn’t read Robb’s face. There were so many emotions that seemed to constantly change that made it impossible for Theon to interpret. Was he mad? Relieved? Sad? Theon had no idea.

Robb cleared his throat and looked him up and down before breaking the silence. “Well… are you alright?”

Theon sighed. That was a great question. He had no idea himself. He eventually settled for: “I’m going to be.”

Robb nodded as if he’d just been given some light news about the weather. He said nothing for a second before his face finally cleared into an emotion Theon could clearly read: acceptance. “Me and Marg are going to Yara’s tonight. Everyone’s going to be there. You wanna come?”

Theon couldn’t help but smile at the olive branch he’d been offered. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

Robb smiled back at him and nodded once. “Good.” He turned his head and yelled after his girlfriend. “Hey Marg, are you ready to go?”

Her voice echoed with its usual sweet tone that seemed to be reserved for everyone _but_ Theon. She walked into their view and jingled the keys in her hand with a smirk. “Found your keys.”

Robb took them from her and gave her a quick kiss. “Thanks, love.” The way they were looking at each other was enough to make Theon look away from them. He had forgotten how sickenly in love they were. 

Theon offered to give them a ride and they agreed. Robb sat on the front seat and the two of them talked as if no time had passed. Well, mostly Robb talked. Theon was quieter than usual, content to just listen to Robb tell him about the past couple months. He was telling him some story about the extensive and aggressive arm wrestling competition that took place in the bar a couple weeks prior. It had gotten so intense that Sam took the time to draw out a chart, with rounds and branches that stated who would compete against whom. Apparently Arya had been the winner (no surprise from Theon there) beating one of the bartenders, Jaime Lannister. Bets had been placed and Robb was very proud of the fact that he’d put his money on his sister. Margaery was on her phone, with an amused smile as she listened to their conversation. 

Robb was now telling him about all the other competitors.

“And of course, I beat Sansa in the first round in a matter of seconds.”

“Sansa?” Theon asked. He’d heard the name before but he couldn’t remember where.

“Yeah, Sansa.” Robb looked at him as if he was crazy for a second before realization set in. “Oh shite, I forgot the two of you have never met. She’s my other little sister, remember? Moved from King’s Landing a few months ago.”

Something clicked in Theon’s head. “Ohhh, right! That Sansa.” He remembered the other things that Robb had told her and couldn’t help but asking. “How’s she doing?”

Robb sighed. “You know. She’s better. A lot better but still… she feels different than before. More subdued, I guess? Not that I can blame her.”

Theon nodded in understanding. He didn’t know the details, but he knew it was her abusive boyfriend that drew Sansa out of King’s Landing mid-semester.

“She might be there tonight, though. She’s been busy but she said she’d try to make it.”

They pulled up in an open spot by Yara’s bar. He made brief eye-contact with his sister (who looked surprised but pleased to see him there) before having his vision muddled by a mass of brown hair. He gave an “oof” but returned Arya’s hug in no time. She let go just as quickly and punched him in the shoulder hard. He let out a yelp, and remembered that this tiny freshman was the current winner of the “Arm Wrestling Olympics.” He was sure he’d have a bruise. 

She nailed him down with a hard glare. “_That’s_ for disappearing without a word for months. Prat.” 

“I missed you too.” He replied with a grin and her face softened a bit.

Gendry behind her lifted his beer in acknowledgement. “Hullo, Greyjoy.”

Theon nodded back at him, the grin still on his face. “Waters.”

Robb clapped Theon on the shoulder. “Yeah, yeah we’re all glad he’s back. Now let’s get sloshed, shall we?”

Theon let out a laugh that felt just a little bit forced (the memories of him lying drunk on his apartment floor still too clear on his mind) and let his best mate trail past him and head to the bar. He scanned the room, his eyes laying on Jon in the corner, with his arm around Ygritte’s shoulders. They made eye-contact and Theon felt his grin waver slightly. 

But before he could feel guilt return, Jon smiled at him and nodded at him. “Welcome back, Greyjoy.”

Nothing about his smile felt forced now as he smiled back at him. “Happy to be back, Snow.”

Theon made his way to the bar to settle in front of Brienne. She said nothing, just raised her eyebrows with a knowing smirk, before asking for his drink. He ordered a beer, not feeling he could handle anything stronger than that at the moment.

He took it eagerly, glad to have something to do with his hands. He took a sip and tried to soothe the anxiety that was starting to grow inside of him. It was weird, slipping into something that was almost a routine for him months ago. He looked around again. His sister was making a drink for Dany, who was crinkling her nose in the way she did when she was happy. Robb was leaning against the bar, Margaery in his arms. His nose was in her hair as he said something into her ear with a smile. Gendry and Arya were at a table playing… were they having a _Thumb War?_ God, Theon never understood their weird foreplay. Bran was eating some chips mid-laughter with Jojen. They were probably high as fuck. Jon and Ygritte were now playing darts; Jon getting his ass kicked as expected.

Theon smiled at them, but quickly felt loneliness take over him. They were his friends, his family. And as much as they were happy to see him again, they still had other priorities. They still had _someone._ He remembered why it was so easy to push them aside. They all had people they loved and Theon… well, Theon was alone. 

He took another sip of his beer and started playing with the tag. A couple seconds went by before he realized what he was doing. _No._ He was not going to pull away. He was not going to isolate himself from people who loved him. He looked around, weighing his options before deciding on joining Yara and Dany.

They both turned to him with varying degrees of a smile. He forced himself to plaster one on his face as well.

“Theon! It’s so good to see you! Yara didn’t tell me you were going to be here tonight.”

“She didn’t know.” Theon assured her. “Robb invited me.”

Yara took a second to give him another glance over. Her stare halted on the beer in his hand, but she raised her eyes to meet his without commenting on it. “It’s nice to see you again, little brother.”

He put on a smirk and placed a hand over his chest. “Your kind words just warm my heart.”

Yara rolled her eyes. “Idiot.”

Theon laughed, for real this time, and pointed at Yara. “There she is! There’s the bitch of a sister I know and love.”

Yara glared at him but her eyes were wrinkled with amusement. Lately everything had been so heavy between them, it felt good to slip into their light insults, even if it was just for a second. 

Loud screams of welcome echoed around the bar and Theon looked back to see what that was all about. It seemed someone had come in, but Robb had pulled them into a hug before Theon could get a good look. 

He heard Robb say, “Sansa, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

Ohhh, this was Robb’s little sister. He still couldn’t see her, Robb’s back completely covering her. But then Robb stepped aside and all coherent thoughts left his brain.

_That_ was Robb’s little sister? He didn’t know what he was expecting but it certainly wasn’t this… this… this red-headed _goddess_ of a girl. 

Sansa nodded and followed her brother as he moved into the bar. It took Theon a second before realizing they were coming towards _him._ Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. How does one talk or even exist near a girl like that?

“Sansa, this is Theon.”

Sansa smiled at him, small and soft, and looked him up and down. Theon fidgeted with the label of his beer again. “So, this is the guy you wouldn’t shut up about.” 

Theon’s brain short-circuited at the thought of her hearing about him. His brain seemed to have stopped working. Thankfully, his smart mouth never seemed to fail him. “Awww, Robb. You’ve talked about me?”

Robb brushed off the hand on his shoulder and laughed. “Only to tell her how much of a prat you are.”

Theon grinned at his mate before his gaze snapped back to Sansa’s almost as if pulled by a magnet. Gods, her eyes were blue. And she was gazing at him so clearly, like she could see right through him. 

_Who the fuck was this girl?_

Theon cleared his throat and nodded towards his sister. “So Sansa,” Her name felt so nice on his lips, “what’s your poison?”

Sansa pulled up the strap of her sundress. “I’d like a cosmopolitan, please.”

Theon nodded and turned to Yara who was already whipping up her drink. 

Sansa looked around to see her brother had returned to Margaery’s grasp. She bit her lip almost as if she was considering interrupting them before sighing and taking the seat next to Theon. 

She grabbed her drink from Yara with a “thanks” and took a tentative sip. 

Dany excused herself to go talk to her nephew and Yara went to attend to other customers, leaving Sansa and Theon alone. 

There was a couple seconds of awkward silence before Theon couldn’t bear it anymore. “So how has it been being back in Winterfell?”

Sansa gave him a polite smile. “It’s been good.” She looked around at her family and her smile softened. “I didn’t know I would miss them so much but I did.”

“Yeah…” Theon snuck a glance at Yara at the end of the bar. “Family’s more important than we think.” His father came to mind, hand gripping his arm and throwing him across the room. Theon took another sip of his beer. 

“What are you majoring in?” Sansa asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. 

“Marine Biology. You?”

“Law.”

“Law?” He couldn’t help the grin that came to his face as he looked at her. “You want to be a stuffy old lawyer?”

Sansa smirked at him and shook her head. “_No,_ I want to be a stuffy old judge.”

“Mmm that’s better. You’ll be making the calls about people’s lives then, huh?”

She lifted her drink. “That’s the plan.”

She was avoiding his eyes while Theon, on the other hand, couldn’t keep his off of her. Gods, she was stunning. And now smart, too? “That’s good. The world needs good people banging the gavel.”

This made her snap her blue eyes at him. “How do you know I’m a good person? You’ve only just met me.”

Theon shrugged. “You’re a Stark. All Starks are good people.” He didn’t mean to let some bitterness slip into his words but he couldn’t help it. The bloody Starks and their too good to be true perfection. He took a sip of his beer and now it was his turn to avoid her eyes. 

She was silent for a moment, studying him with that piercing gaze. Like she could see right through. _Could she see right through him?_

If she did, she didn’t comment on it. “If your sister owns the bar, does that mean you get free drinks?”

Theon felt a weight he didn’t even know he was holding lift off his shoulder. He laughed, easily taking the change of topic. “Please. Yara basically charges twice as much _because_ I’m her brother.”

Sansa laughed, a beautiful melodic sound. Gods did he want to hear it again. 

They spent the rest of the night next to each other. Talking about anything but the baggage they seemed to carry. They traded stories about their siblings, Sansa had plenty of Robb that Theon was sure to use against him at the next opportunity. 

Their friends eventually filtered out one by one, heading off to their respective homes. But Theon and Sansa stayed. Theon didn’t want to go home and face the emptiness of his apartment. He didn’t know why Sansa was also staying. Maybe it was the same reason. Maybe she just didn’t want to be alone. Either way, Theon wasn’t complaining. Sansa was making for very good company and he was actually enjoying spending time with her. 

Yara was the last one to leave, going home with Dany. She had dropped the keys in front of him, reminding him to close up when he leaves. She then leaned in and warned him in a low tone “no sex on the bar” with a stare that pierced him. He laughed and told her it wouldn’t be a problem (But Gods did he want that to be a problem). 

At Gods know what hour, they were still there: sitting at the bar talking. 

Sansa’s eyes trained on something over his shoulder and Theon twisted to see what she was staring at. 

It was the piano that Yara had in the corner. It was old and dingy and Theon was sure that it was the least bit out of tune. 

“I always wondered why there’s a piano in here.” Sansa said, almost to herself. “It’s not like anyone uses it.”

“I’m pretty sure Yara just put that old thing to indulge her ‘Piano Man’ Billy Joel fantasies.”

Sansa got off her stool and sauntered over to it. Theon followed her and took a seat on the bench beside her. Their thighs were pressed against each other (there wasn’t much space for the both of them) and Theon tried not to freak out over the feeling of her being so close to him. She smelled faintly of vanilla and strawberries and he felt light headed from how good it was. 

Sansa’s fingers danced over the keys and he nudged her with his shoulder. “Do you play?”

She shrugged. “A little. I took classes for most of my life to be honest.”

He didn’t ask anything else. Sansa’s eyes seemed to have glazed over as she got lost in her own head. He knew that look, the look of someone haunted by their memories, so he didn’t prod. If she wanted to talk about it, she would. And after a few minutes, she did. 

“Um… I actually wrote a couple songs.”

Theon’s eyebrows shot up. “You did?”

Sansa nodded, her eyes still looking down at the keys in front of her. “Yeah, after Joffrey… I can’t really explain it but… it helped. It was like,” Her fingers stopped ghosting over the keys and her jaw clenched, “it was like I could put things into it that I… I don’t know.”

“Couldn’t bring to admit out loud?” 

Her eyes snapped up to meet his, wide in shock. She was looking at him like that again, like she could see right through him. But there was something else… something like understanding. “Yeah. Exactly.”

Theon held her stare for a couple more seconds before it became too overwhelming and he stared at the piano in front of him instead. He thought about the music he’d heard that one night; maybe this one would save him a little too. “Can I hear it?”

He finally chanced a look to see her tuck in a strand of hair behind her ear, avoiding his eyes. “No one’s really heard these yet.”

“Oh, you don’t have to-”

[She cut off his protests by pressing down on the keys and Theon felt his entire body freeze. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADPmsDlcwss)_No,_ it couldn’t be. 

But she kept playing and it _was_. The girl next to him was playing the song that saved his life. 

It was different watching her play it in person instead of hearing it muffled through a ceiling. She looked even more beautiful, her eyebrows furrowed the least bit in concentration. He could see her face shift and grow heavier as she pressed the keys harder and harder. All the burdens she’d been keeping hidden were rising to the surface, written across her face clear as day. He could see so much pain. As her eyes began to water he felt an overwhelming urge to take a train to King’s Landing and beat the shit out of whoever laid a hand on her.

She finished the song in a pant. Her fingers trembling as she slid them off the keys, bringing them to her lap. 

Theon didn’t say anything. He had no idea what the fuck to say. How was he going to explain it to her? How was he going to tell her that he already knew that song by heart? How was he going to explain that it was her music that made him want to drag himself out of the hole he dug for himself?

He didn’t know how. So he took her trembling fingers into his and held her hand. She raised her eyes to meet his and neither of them said anything. They just sat there, holding their intense gaze of understanding and pain and trauma and comfort, with no words exchanged. 

Sansa bit her lip, still holding his gaze. When she spoke, it was in a whisper. “I’m having a party for my birthday in a couple weeks. Would you want to come?”

“I’d love to.” He smirked (an inside joke with himself) as he asked “Can you send me your address?”

* * *

He pressed the button for the elevator and spun his present for Sansa in his hands as he waited. 

He had no idea what to get her, so he had to ask Margaery for advice. They spent an afternoon in the mall as she helped him pick something out; it was one of the weirdest afternoons of his life. But he survived (and maybe got Margaery to warm up to him a little in the process). 

The gift was small and he wasn’t even sure she’d like it. But when he’d pointed it out to Margaery at the store she had smiled and told him it was perfect. 

He _really_ hoped she liked it. 

Theon still hadn’t told Sansa they were neighbors either. It was kind of weird to bring up now considering they’d hung out quite often since that night at the bar. 

Sansa went from being a name he heard in conversation every once in a while to someone he saw almost every day. She was always just… there. And Theon found he quite liked it. 

Whether they were collectively mocking Robb or sitting in comfortable silence, he liked spending time with her. In some weird way, she _got him._

The elevator dinged open and he clambered inside. He barely had time to look over his appearance before the doors opened again. 

He walked down the hall towards her door and pressed the doorbell, putting the present inside his pocket.

The door opened and _she_ was there. She was wearing a floral sundress that made her more ethereal than usual. Sansa’s face broke into a smile like his attendance had made her entire day and it made Theon’s heart jump a little. “Hey! Come in.” 

She stepped aside to let him through, and Theon walked in, hands in his pockets.

It was some weird deja-vu, seeing his apartment with completely different furniture. Hers was much cosier. She had paintings on the wall and flowers on nice coffee tables while he had worn out couches and old take out boxes. 

He was one of the last ones to arrive from what he could tell. He nodded a greeting at all of them, considering going over to talk to Robb when he felt someone touch his arm. He turned to see Sansa smiling at him. “Want a drink?”

His arm burned where she had touched him, so strong that it clouded his thoughts. He nodded dumbly and she led him to the table with all her drinks. 

“So…what’s your poison?”

Theon laughed at the remembrance, Sansa’s grin almost wolfish as she asked. 

“I’ll take a rum and coke, please.”

Sansa raised her eyebrows as if to say _of course,_ before quickly making his drink. She put less rum than he’d usually take but he didn’t mind. He took it from her with a thanks and took a sip. 

“I have a gift for you.”

“Oh, you really didn’t have to-”

“I know.” He interrupted her. “I wanted to.”

She said nothing, just looked him up and down with a weird smile. As if he was lying to her with his kindness in some shape and form.

They stood there for a couple seconds (her smiling softly at him while he just basked that anyone as extraordinary as her would give her a minute of her time) before someone called for her attention. 

She gave him an apologetic smile and then left to go deal with her drunk sister. 

Theon took another sip of his drink and walked over to Robb and Margaery. Robb gave a quick nod of recognition (completely oblivious to how hard Theon’s heart was beating at the thought of his sister) while Margaery gave a smirk too knowing to mean anything good. 

He spent some time talking with the couple before Gendry brought out the karaoke machine, and all hell broke loose.

Theon hadn’t had this much fun in a while. Everyone sung at least once. Arya and Sansa sung “Dancing Queen”. Arya so drunk that she did a cartwheel in the middle of it and everyone hollered and whooped. Later in the night (when Theon had a good amount of drinks in him), Robb declared that he, Jon and Theon had to sing a song together. He grabbed both the boys to the area that had been deemed a stage and thrusted a microphone in their hands. When the intro for “Sucker” by the Jonas Brothers started playing, Robb introduced them as the “Almost Brothers.” Arya had cried from laughter. 

When Robb and Margaery started singing a soppy ballad, Theon decided this was a good opportunity for a break.

He poked Sansa and she turned to him, her eyes unusually bright from all the festivities. “Where can I go for a smoke?”

“Oh, I’ll show you.”

She led him into what he assumed was her room. The bed was neatly made, and there were pink decorative pillows stacked on top of it. Picture frames were littered across counters, but not a thing seemed out of place. His eyes caught on the piano shoved in the corner, but he didn’t comment. 

She opened her window and climbed out of the fire escape. He trailed after her and sat next to her on the stairs. He dug into his pocket for his cigs and his fingers landed on the gift. An idea came to him. A stupid, stupid idea that he probably wouldn’t consider if he was sober but hey… fuck it, right?

He turned to her to find her facing out into the city. The street lights and the fire escape casting an orange shadow on her face. She turned to face him and Theon felt his breath hitch ever so slightly. “I wanted to give you your gift.”

“Okay.” Her voice was low, nearing to a whisper.

“But before I do, I wanted to show you something.”

“Okay…” She was starting to get skeptical. Her confusion becoming even clearer as he stood up and extended his hand. Sansa looked at it for a second before taking it.

He led them both down the fire escape and stopped exactly one floor below. He prayed to the Drowned God that he’d left his room somewhat clean. He bent down to look inside the window; his bed was unmade but there were no clothes scattered around the room. It could’ve been a lot worse, really.

“Theon, _what are you doing?_” Sansa harshly whispered at him as he started opening the window.

It hit him that she probably thought he was breaking and entering into another person’s home. He was about to tell her the truth when he thought better of it. It’ll only be a few moments and besides, she looked really cute when she was worried. “Relax, it’ll be fine.”

“What if they’re home?”

Theon didn’t reply as he slid into his apartment. He offered a hand to Sansa, who looked very much like she wanted to run. She licked her lips, took one more look around, and took it. She slipped into the apartment ever so graciously and brushed herself off. “I hope whatever it is is worth going to jail over.”

He laughed. Maybe it was time. 

He walked over to one of his cupboards and grabbed one of the pictures on the stand. It was one of him and Robb in their freshman year. He gave it to her and she took it gingerly. She scrunched her eyebrows as she took in what was on it but it soon gave in to realization. She looked up at him with wide eyes. “Wait, you…”

“Hmhm.” He didn’t know how to explain it all. How to put the last couple months into words that would express the true meaning of them. 

“How long have you lived here?”

Theon shrugged. “About a year.” He grinned at her, hiding how awkward he truly felt with a joke. “I didn’t move here to stalk you as much it looks like.”

She gave a half-hearted smile, seeing his joke for what it really was: a deflection.

He cleared his throat. It was now or never. He took a seat on his bed and pulled out her gift to have something to do with his hands. “I don’t know how much Robb told you about why I disappeared.”

The bed shifted as she took a seat next to him. “Not much. He just told me about your mom…and your dad as well.”

He gave a humorless laugh. “Ah, yes. You mustn't leave out the _character_ that is Balon Greyjoy.” He bit his lip and twisted the gift on his fingers. “But yeah. My mom happened and I disappeared. I…things got _really_ bad, Sansa.” He looked at her when he said her name but her gaze was too intense and real and he couldn’t handle it and looked back at his hands. “I didn’t see the point of anything anymore and only the Drowned God knows where I would be if I hadn’t gotten myself out of it. But it was something that gave me the will to… _to try._” 

Her voice was so quiet he could barely hear when she spoke. “What?”

Theon scratched his jaw and looked up at the ceiling, almost as if he could see the instrument Sansa kept in the corner of her room. “I heard some piano through the ceiling. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard in my life.” He turned his head to face her. Her blue eyes glassy as she stared back at him. He handed her the present in his hands, and she broke their eye contact to unwrap it. 

He swore he could hear her catch her breath as she saw what was inside. She brushed over the silver quarter note pendant, the chain shifting in the box. 

“Your music, Sansa. It saved my life.”

Her breath was shaky as she just stared at the necklace. “Theon, I…I don’t know what to say.” Sansa turned to face him again and Theon could count the little specks in her eyes from how close she was. _“Thank you.”_

Theon grinned at her. “Didn’t you hear what I said? I just said you saved my life and you’re thanking _me?_”

Sansa smiled back at him and gave a shrug. “It was a beautiful gift and it deserved a ‘thank you.’”

“You don’t have to thank me. Ever.”

“But I want to.” She protested sounding a little bit like a petulant child. Was it his imagination or was she inching closer to him? “You deserve much more than that.”

He let out a humorless laugh. “No, I don’t.”

“Yes, _you do._”

She countered with an assurance that Theon didn’t know where it was coming from. “Despite what you might think, you’re a good man Theon Greyjoy.”

When Sansa put it so simply, Theon almost believed her. 

Before he could tell her exactly _why_ she shouldn’t think that Sansa pressed her lips against his. His body responded automatically as his brain completely short-circuited. Sansa Stark, a woman too good for this world, was kissing _him._ He didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve her. But he wasn’t about to protest when she was pulling him closer.

Theon didn’t think he would ever be able to say no to Sansa Stark for the rest of his life. Not with her fierce gaze and heartfelt, life-changing music. Not ever. And he was pretty sure that that wasn’t a bad thing. 

**Author's Note:**

> The "Almost Brothers" joke comes from a tumblr post that had me laughing for 10 straight minutes and I just HAD to incorporate it into my fic. It was a must.
> 
> find me on tumblr @brazilianchild


End file.
